Morgan County Divorce Decree Records
Divorce decree records in Morgan County are filed and stored at the Combined Court serving the 13th Judicial District. This district covers multiple counties in northeast Colorado, including Morgan County. The court clerk in Fort Morgan handles all dissolution of marriage cases for Morgan County residents. People seeking divorce decrees or dissolution records can contact the Morgan County Combined Court to request copies of filed documents. The court manages both the filing process for new cases and the retrieval of historical decree records for parties who need certified or uncertified copies. Morgan County uses the state court system for all domestic relations matters, so no municipal courts issue divorce decrees.
Morgan County Quick Facts
13th Judicial District Court
Morgan County is part of the 13th Judicial District. This district includes Kit Carson, Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick, Washington, and Yuma counties. All seven counties share the same court system for district cases. The clerk's office in each county handles local filings and records requests for that county.
The Morgan County courthouse is in Fort Morgan. Staff maintain divorce decree files for all Morgan County dissolution cases. You can request records in person, by mail, or using the online form. Most requests get processed in three business days if you provide enough detail.
Contact the Morgan County Combined Court for divorce decree records or case information. Use the online records request system at the Colorado Judicial Branch website. This form goes directly to the Morgan County clerk. Phone calls and email also work for basic questions about finding a decree or checking case status.
| Court | Morgan County Combined Court |
|---|---|
| District | 13th Judicial District |
| Website | coloradojudicial.gov |
Getting Divorce Decree Copies
Morgan County offers multiple ways to get divorce decree copies. The fastest is to visit the courthouse in Fort Morgan. Bring photo ID. Tell the clerk which case you need. If the file is on site, you can get copies that same day. Pay at the counter with cash or card.
Online requests go through the Colorado Judicial Branch records request form. Choose Morgan County from the list. Enter both party names and the year if you know it. The court will email you about fees and processing time. This method works well when you are not local to Fort Morgan.
Mail and phone requests also work. Call the clerk's office to ask about a specific case. They can tell you if the file exists and what the copy fee will be. For mail, send a letter with case details and your contact information. Include payment if you know the cost. The court will mail copies back to you.
Copy fees are set by state rule. Regular copies cost $0.25 per page. Certified copies are $20.00 per document. If you were a party to the case, you pay no more than $15.00 total regardless of page count. Non-parties pay the full fee. Name searches cost $5.00. Research time beyond one hour costs $30.00 per hour.
- In-person: Visit courthouse in Fort Morgan
- Online: Submit Colorado Judicial Branch records form
- Mail: Send written request with payment
- Phone: Call for case information and fees
- Email: Use court email for initial inquiries
Note: Most Morgan County divorce decree requests are completed within three business days if case information is accurate.
Online Divorce Case Search
You can search Morgan County divorce cases online through third-party databases. CoCourts.com is the main option. This service from LexisNexis covers the 13th Judicial District, including Morgan County. Searches cost $10.00 or less and show the Register of Action for each case.
The Register of Action lists case events but not the actual decree. You see filing dates, hearing dates, and when the decree was entered. To get the decree itself, contact Morgan County after finding the case number on CoCourts. The database helps you confirm details before requesting copies.
Visit cocourts.com to search now. You can also try bisi.com for Background Information Services searches. Both services pull from Colorado court data but do not provide document copies.
Filing for Dissolution in Morgan County
To file for divorce in Morgan County, one spouse must live in Colorado for 91 days. File the petition at the Morgan County courthouse. The filing fee is $230.00. This includes the displaced homemaker fee required by state law.
Colorado law under C.R.S. § 14-10-106 sets the rules for dissolution. The court must find the marriage is irretrievably broken. A 91-day waiting period begins when the respondent is served. The court cannot enter a final decree until that period ends.
Morgan County allows uncontested divorces without a hearing. Both parties sign a separation agreement. File form JDF 1018 to request a decree without appearing in court. The judge reviews the papers and signs the decree if everything is in order. This saves time and court costs for couples who agree on all terms.
Once the decree is entered, the clerk sends notice to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment as required by C.R.S. § 14-10-120. CDPHE keeps a verification record but not the actual decree. Only the court has copies of the full decree document.
Use the self-help forms from the Colorado Judicial Branch to prepare your case. Morgan County follows the standard statewide procedures. Local forms may be available for specific situations. Ask the clerk's office what forms you need when you file.
Who Can Access Decrees
Morgan County divorce decrees are public records in most cases. Anyone can request a copy if they have the case information. Some cases may be sealed by court order. Sealed cases require special permission to access.
Parties to the case always have access to their own decree. They pay reduced fees under Colorado court rules. Third parties such as background check companies, researchers, or other individuals can also get copies but pay full fees.
Under C.R.S. § 25-2-117, vital records are confidential but divorce decrees are court records with different rules. The court determines access to its own files. Most decrees are available to anyone who asks and pays the fee.
Older Morgan County Decrees
The Colorado State Archives does not currently hold Morgan County divorce records. All Morgan County decrees remain at the courthouse in Fort Morgan. The clerk maintains files going back many decades. Even very old cases from the 1960s or 1970s can be requested from the current clerk's office.
Some counties transfer old records to the Archives, but Morgan County has not done so yet. Check the State Archives divorce records page to see which counties have transferred records. Morgan County is not listed, so all requests go to the courthouse.
If you need a decree from many years ago, expect longer processing time. Older files may be stored off-site. The court charges retrieval fees for off-site files. Call ahead if your case is more than 20 years old to ask about retrieval time and cost.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Morgan County. Each has its own Combined Court handling divorce decrees for residents of that county. File in the county where you or your spouse lives.